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Kallor
Kallor, full name Kallor Eiderann Tes'thesula,Memories of Ice, Prologue was second-in-command of Caladan Brood's forces during the Malazan campaign in Genabackis.Gardens of the Moon, Dramatis Personae The self-declared High King claimed to have lived for millennia, and declared he had once ruled an empire that he himself had ultimately destroyed. While on campaign, he traveled everywhere with an ornate, ironwood throne.Memories of Ice, Chapter 20, US SFBC p.716-717 He was tall and gaunt, and looked exceptionally old. His narrow face was dark and lined, ravaged by age, and his long grey hair hung about his back and shoulders.Memories of Ice, Chapter 3, US SFBC p.112 He had dull, lifeless eyes, a gravelly voice,Gardens of the Moon Chapter 10, US HC p.243 pallid skin, and usually carried a sneering look of disdain on his face. Kallor wore an ancient, oft-mended, full-length chain surcoat and a dull grey helmet.Memories of Ice, Chapter 23, US SFBC p.852 His weapon of choice was a plain hand and a half sword,Return of the Crimson Guard, Book 2 Chapter 5 also known as a bastard sword, which he wore strapped to his back.Memories of Ice, Chapter 23, US SFBC p.844 His tactical genius was legendary, and he possessed "an instinctive mastery of the sweep and shift of vast campaigns", and he claimed not to have faced defeat in a hundred thousand years. But he could barely disguise his own disinterest in such contests, earning him grudging respect from his troops, but not their loyalty.Memories of Ice, Chapter 3, US SFBC p.94Memories of Ice, Chapter 23, US SFBC p.853 He had a hatred for sorcery, preferring to rely on the natural arcana of alchemy.Memories of Ice, Chapter 13, US SFBC p.437-438 He saw himself as a hunter who lay in wait for decades or centuries of interminable boredom while the children around him grew blind to his danger. Then, when the moment was right, he would act explosively and with certainty. The long lived High King no longer dreamed, each night reminding him of his fears of oblivion. In Gardens of the Moon Kallor served Brood uneasily during the fighting against the Malazans at Blackdog Forest where he was dismissive of the military success of Crimson Guard officer Jorrick Sharplance. He also counseled Brood to destroy Anomander Rake rather than ally with him, but his advice went unheeded. Brood left Kallor in charge when he left to confer with Crimson Guard commander K'azz D'Avore. After Brood departed Kallor swore Brood would rue dismissing his advice.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 10, US HC p.242-243 When the allied city of Pale fell to the Malazan siege, Brood left the Crimson Guard behind to hold the north while the rest of his troops moved south to respond. High Fist Dujek Onearm was forced to parley with Brood and Kallor outside Pale in order to extricate his forces.Gardens of the Moon, Chapter 24, US HC p.480 In Deadhouse Gates While passing through the Imperial Warren, Kalam spied the collapsed dome of a fallen palace or temple bearing the deeply carved sigil of a crown. He recognized it as the symbol from Kallor's standard from when the Malazan Empire clashed with the High King and Caladan Brood at Blackdog Forest. Fiddler noted that legend held Kallor to be tens of thousands of years old and Kallor himself claimed to have once ruled empires, each one making the Malazan Empire seem no larger than a province. Kallor boasted he had destroyed them all and made worlds lifeless.Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 13, US HC p.362 In Memories of Ice Kallor continued in his role as Brood's second when the warlord allied himself with their former enemy, High Fist Dujek Onearm, against the Pannion Domin. The High King was shown to resent Brood's authority over him, but was wary of the warlord's power and thus never directly challenged him. He was openly hostile to Silverfox, a reincarnation of sorts of Nightchill, and demanded she be slain as an abomination. When Whiskeyjack stood in Silverfox's defence, Kallor laughed in contempt. In response, the Bridgeburner struck him across the face with the back of his gauntled hand, something no one had done in centuries. Kallor would remember.Memories of Ice, Chapter 3, US SFBC p.104-106Memories of Ice, Chapter 5, US SFBC p.166 Approached by Gethol, Kallor allied himself with the Crippled God, accepting the position of High King in the new High House Chains in return for being provided with an opportunity to kill Silverfox.Memories of Ice, Chapter 12, US SFBC p.439-440 He repeatedly advised Brood to turn on their Malazan allies after it was revealed that Dujek maintained his own secret goals and ambitions from the warlord.Memories of Ice, Chapter 18, US SFBC p.623 After the alliance successfully lifted the Pannion Siege of Capustan, Brood called for a parley of the victorious commanders and representatives of the city. There, Kallor recognised Keruli as his old enemy, K'rul, and revealed his identity to the others. The alliance decided to next confront the Pannion Seer and his armies at Coral. The armies divided to separately liberate Setta and Lest before rejoining at Maurik to march on Coral together. Dujek devised a plan to secretly send the bulk of the Malazan army ahead to Coral without alerting their allies. Whiskeyjack was left behind to break the news at Maurik, earning Brood and Kallor's scorn. Korlat and her Tiste Andii joined Whiskeyjack's small army in their attempt to force march to Coral where Dujek was already engaged in the Battle of Black Coral. But Brood heeded Kallor's advice to allow his own soldiers to linger behind. The High King's scathing disrespect for Korlat, Whiskeyjack's lover, led her brother, Orfantal, to promise Kallor that "when all this is done... I will come for you."Memories of Ice, Chapter 23, US SFBC p.841-847 Kallor separately travelled to Coral and made his move on Silverfox during the battle. He struck down and gravely wounded Korlat and would likely have succeeded in slaying the young Bonecaster as well had not Whiskeyjack stepped between him and Silverfox. This resulted in Whiskeyjack's death by Kallor's hand when the Bridgeburner's injured leg failed during their duel.Memories of Ice, Chapter 24, UK MMPB p.1058 Kallor was himself seriously wounded by Whiskeyjack's bodyguards and the sorcery of Artanthos before crying out for help and disappearing into the Warren of the Crippled God.Memories of Ice, Chapter 24, UK MMPB p.1058 After the battle, Korlat and Orfantal set off in pursuit of Kallor, with Anomander Rake requesting they bring him back alive to face Dragnipur's justice.Memories of Ice, Chapter 25, US SFBC p.979 In Midnight Tides Silchas Ruin showed Brys Beddict a vision of the Kallorian Empire on the day those who warred against Kallor brought down the Crippled God upon the Malazan world. The two men stood atop a flat-topped pyramid overlooking a vast and beautiful city of tiered gardens, raised walkways, and towers of extraordinary heights. Fragments of enormous stone buildings and statuary fell upon the city from a wound in the sky, followed by a massive sphere wreathed in lightning. The sphere seemed to scream as it struck the city with a detonation that created a firestorm that rushed outward to engulf everything in sight.Midnight Tides, Chapter 12, US SFBC p.381-384 In Toll the Hounds Kallor having landed upon the coast of Genabackis, proceeded to walk hundreds of leagues northward across the Lamatath Plain towards Darujhistan, while musing about his past.Toll the Hounds, Chapter 4, US TPB p.116/118Toll the Hounds, Chapter 6, US TPB p.184 The 'High King' eventually encountered Nimander Golit and his band of close kin and he decided to accompany the Tiste Andii on their journey to Bastion - where Kallor would be able to pick up the track through the Cinnamon Wastes which led to Darujhistan, his goal. Along the way, Kallor and the others discovered the Jaghut, Gothos, in a ruined tower that, at one time, had been an Azath House.Toll the Hounds, Chapter 6, US TPB p.186-187Toll the Hounds, Chapter 8, US TPB p.240-242/258-265/270-271/274 Once the group entered Bastion, Kallor left the others - who were heading for the city center - to go off on his own down a side street to examine the ruins of an "enormous mechanism" which seemingly had fallen from the sky. The 'High King' thought that the original makers of this wreck had been K'Chain Che'Malle.Toll the Hounds, Chapter 10, US TPB p.335-336/339-340 Kallor, having left Bastion on his own, continued on his way to Darujhistan, where he sensed an important convergence was in the process of developing. The 'High King' felt a driving need to be there in time so as to be in a position to achieve his ultimate goal of taking over the 'Broken Throne' from the Crippled God.Toll the Hounds, Chapter 12, US TPB p.408-409 Waking up out of sleep to the smell of death, Kallor found himself staring up at Tulas Shorn, an undead Soletaken dragon, with whom he then had a wide-ranging conversation, including the history of the ancient Jaghut war against Death itself - of which the dragon had been a part.Toll the Hounds, Chapter 16, US TPB p.515-518/535 The 'High King' eventually reached the vicinity of Darujhistan.Toll the Hounds, Chapter 20, US TPB p.668-669 As night fell and he neared the city, he came to a crossroad, lit by four burning torches, where Kallor encountered Spinnock Durav. The Tiste Andii was determined to prevent Kallor from getting any closer to Darujhistan that night. Thus, the two great swordsmen fought the whole night through.Toll the Hounds, Chapter 22, US TPB p.727-729 ] As dawn approached, Kallor finally defeated Spinnock, but the 'High King' stayed his hand and did not deliver a killing blow. Kallor realized that Spinnock had kept him from Darujhistan just long enough so that Kallor was now too late to take advantage of the convergence. Still, the 'High King' continued on his way, leaving Spinnock grievously wounded but alive.Toll the Hounds, Chapter 23, US TPB p.776-778 However, even as Kallor again proceeded towards to city, the Tiste Andii Soletaken Eleints, Korlat and her brother Orfantal, finally caught up with the 'High King' - who they had been hunting for some time. Korlat stopped to save Spinnock's life, but Orfantal, tackling Kallor alone, was outmatched and was killed by the 'High King'.Toll the Hounds, Chapter 23, US TPB p.778-780 Kallor, finally reaching the eastern outskirts of Darujhistan, decided to go no further than an empty tavern that he had found. There he helped himself to bad ale while listening to the overwhelming sound of all of the many bells of Darujhistan tolling together - thinking to himself, "Death, ruin, grief... They're playing my song".Toll the Hounds, Chapter 24, US TPB p.815 In Return of the Crimson Guard Kallor killed Ereko, the last of the Thel Akai, at the Dolmens of Tien, fulfilling a vow he made ages past to destroy that ancient race for their support of the people of Jacuruku against his tyranny. He then sneeringly fought Ereko's friend Traveller and was astonished to be bested by him. Before Traveller could finish him off, Kallor called out to his patron for aid and retreated to the Crippled God's Warren.Return of the Crimson Guard, Book 2 Chapter 3, UK PB p.319-320Return of the Crimson Guard, Book 2 Chapter 5, UK PB p.437-440 In Blood and Bone Kallor was known as the Warleader (or the Grey Ghost)Blood and Bone, Prologue, US HC p.32 throughout the majority of the book, where he took the part of a mercenary commander. With his second in command Scarza he lead the Tribes of the Adwami in their invasion of the Thaumaturg lands, also bargaining help from the Shaduwam mages without consulting the Adwami. The Shaduwam Agon worshipped the Demon-King, Kell-Vor - implied to be Kallor.Blood and Bone, Chapter 1, UK MMPB, p.87 During the battle of the Thaumaturg capital Anditi Pura he killed the Adwami princess Andanii as she attacked him, having discovered his identity.Blood and Bone, Chapter 11, UK MMPB, p.623 The other major Adwami Warband leader Jatal attempted to avenge this act with Scarza's help.Blood and Bone, Chapter 11, UK MMPB, p.627 After the Thaumaturg Circle's second attempt to destroy Kallor using a meteor from the "Green Banner" - the Crippled God's followers, the original being the Crippled God himself - failed, he survived. Jatal and Scarza caught up with him and Jatal asked Kallor to kill him so that he could be with Andanii. Kallor obliged, killing Jatal with a single thrust. He asked Scarza to accompany him in his new endeavor, finding and killing Draconus, but Scarza declined.Blood and Bone, Epilogue, US HC p.573-575 In Deadhouse Landing Kallor re-surfaced on Seven Ruins Island "History" section below at the tavern, the "Full Sail", to offer the corsairs drinking there a bag of precious gems in exchange for transportation off of the island aboard one of the ships moored in the harbour below. A deadly free-for-all broke out amongst everyone present in the "Full Sail" as they attempted to obtain the jewels for themselves. After the dust settled, only Kallor and the unsavory 'adventurer', Lars Jindrift, were left standing. Lars recommended the corsair ship, the Tempest, to Kallor as being the most seaworthy of the ships available. Thus, the two left the island on the Tempest, heading west across the Reacher's Ocean because Kallor had 'sensed' that "something had happened" in that direction.Deadhouse Landing, Chapter 7, US TPB p.142-146 Kallor - forewarned by Lars - dealt with a group of crew members of the Tempest who had been plotting to "take him down". The plotters wanted to to get rid of Kallor not only to get hold of his evident wealth, but also to end the voyage westward which was taking them far outside their usual territory of the Rivan Sea. Kallor easily dispatched all but a small fraction of the crew - marking the survivors with a "savage slash" to their faces.Deadhouse Landing, Chapter 8, US TPB p.161-165 Still sailing westward, Kallor and the Tempest encountered a Meckros 'floating city' with which Kallor had had negative, well-remembered, dealings sometime in the past. Reminding the authorities of the Meckros city of the deadly ease with which he had dealt with them during their previous encounter, Kallor was able to get badly needed supplies in exchange for his agreeing to leave the floating city and its inhabitants unharmed upon his departure.Deadhouse Landing, Chapter 12, US TPB p.243-248 After a long voyage across the ocean, which left only Kallor, Lars Jindrift and a pitifully few crew members still alive, the Tempest arrived off the south coast of Malaz Island - which proved to be Kallor's ultimate destination in the west.Deadhouse Landing, Chapter 17, US TPB p.326-327 Kallor was able to get ashore without alerting any of the islanders who usually guarded the south coast. Thus, he was also able to ambush one of his very oldest, most hated enemies, the Sister of Cold Nights - also known as Nightchill - who was one of the guardian mages then present on the southern shore. Kallor came up behind Nightchill and skewered her straight through her body with his long archaic sword - on which he had smeared otataral dust - thereby negating Nightchill's potent sorcery. But before the gloating Kallor could finish off the sorceress by beheading her, however, he was attacked and overcome by Malaz Island's extremely powerful chief guardian and protector - 'Fisher'. 'Fisher', after magically wrapping Kallor in seaweed, old ropes and nets, had then had him dragged into a nearby skiff - which was then sent out to sea. Some of the last words that 'Fisher' spoke to Kallor made it clear that he was never to return to Malaz Island.Deadhouse Landing, Chapter 18, US TPB p.356-359 Speculations It is unknown whether the High King referred to in the Kharkanas Trilogy is Kallor. In Forge of Darkness The rogue Azathanai, Errastas, spoke of fleeing over the ocean from Kurald Galain to the High Kingdom, whose borders were closed to his kind. He said the High King was a "perfect liege" "so beloved among his people."Forge of Darkness, Chapter 16, UK HC p.502 The Azathanai, Old Man, stunned Draconus with the displeasing words that "the High King has built a ship."Forge of Darkness, Chapter 11, UK HC p.318 History Kallor once conquered an entire continent over a period of fifty years. His Kallorian Empire was approximately contemporaneous - being 119,739 years before Burn's Sleep - to the Human First Empire. Kallor's despotic rule as 'High King' over his empire on the continent of Jacuruku led a group of eight "mighty wizards" to look for a power source strong enough to successfully oppose him. The eight wizards managed to ensnare a being from a distant, unknown realm. This being, later known as the Crippled God, was torn into pieces and, in the process of falling to earth, these pieces shattered the continents of Korel and Jacuruku. The fallen being, however, somehow remained alive.Memories of Ice, Prologue, US TPB p.24-29Memories of Ice, Chapter 13, US TPB p.338 A few years later, Kallor, having delivered one insult too many, three Elder Gods, K'rul, Draconus, and the Sister of Cold Nights - who later became known as Nightchill - joined together to free the twelve million people who were slaving under the High King's despotic rule. Kallor vowed that he would never allow the Gods to take from him what he could not have, and to forestall them, he burned the entire continent and all its inhabitants to ash and bone. Since the devastation had already occurred by the time they faced Kallor on his throne - the only object left unburned, the trio of Elder Gods decided to retaliate by each of them casting a curse upon Kallor. They cursed Kallor to live forever, while suffering physically and mentally like a mortal. Also, he would never ascend.Memories of Ice, Prologue, US TPB p.24-29Memories of Ice, Chapter 13, US TPB p.338 ] The actual words of the curses were: Kallor, in turn, used the power of the millions of deaths caused by his destruction of his empire to curse K'rul, Draconus, and the Sister of Cold Nights. He cursed K'rul to "fade from public eye", Draconus to imprisonment in a creation of his own making (Dragnipur), and the Sister of Cold Nights to be torn apart on a field of battle.Memories of Ice, Prologue, US TPB p.24-29Memories of Ice, Chapter 13, US TPB p.338 The actual words of the curses Kallor spoke were: ] Kallor's destroyed empire was preserved by K'rul as a Warren so that the land would be able to heal. The Sister of Cold Nights remarked that the act of fashioning a Warren for the remains of the empire would break K'rul. The Elder God replied that there was no other way. And indeed, in the aftermath of the cursing, when the remains of the collapsed empire were pulled into the Warren, K'rul felt that the wounds and scars just cast upon him would never heal.Memories of Ice, Prologue, US TPB p.28 To counteract at least part of the curse, Kallor subsequently used alchemy, not only to extend his lifespan, but also to rejuvenate himself. He did this by periodically burning Century Candles at night - which each time gained him another one hundred healthy years in a single night.Memories of Ice, Chapter 13, US TPB p.338 Legend had it that hundreds of years before the foundation of the Malazan Empire in the 1058th year of Burn's Sleep, Kallor – as warlord - had terrorized all of southern Genabackis in a series of ferociously cataclysmic wars which had led to the formation of the famous "martial orders of Elingarth", such as the 'Grey Swords'. Kallor’s fortified capital and headquarters had been built on what came to be known as Seven Ruins Island. Seven Ruins was located just off the southern coast of Genabackis – probably more or less due south of the city of Elingarth - and had received its name because of the ruined remains of Kallor’s fortress stronghold and cenotaph which could still be found hundreds of years later in the highlands of the island. Because of this history and these ruins, Seven Ruins Island had the reputation of being haunted by the ancient warlord, whose actual name, by this time, had been forgotten by the locals.Deadhouse Landing, Chapter 7, US TPB p.145-146 Quotes Trivia ] Kallor had one, particularly memorable, war horse, Vaderon, which had given up its life to save that of the High King.Toll the Hounds, Chapter 18, US TPB p.592 Notes and references de:Kallor Category:High House Chains Category:Males Category:Rulers Category:Warleaders